Nvidia agrees to pay $6 billion to license AI startup Poolside'smodel-building software, plus a further $1 billion investment and job offers to over 100 of its staff — part of a bigger week of global AI infrastructure bets, including a $700M chip-startup raise and an $800M hypersonic-weapons round.Meanwhile in India, startups raised $233.2 million across 19 companies this week, with nearly half going to fintech rather than infrastructure. The thesis: global capital is building the machinery of the AI economy; India is building what runs on top of it.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: GPT-Image-2's new built-intransparent backgrounds. A Kerala monsoon classic from the kitchen: Ulli Vada. And an original poem, born from a rainy night in Trivandrum: "Rhythms on the Earth."

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Ulli Vada (Kerala Onion Fritters). Mix besan, a little rice flour, sliced onions, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger, and a pinch of asafoetida with just enough water to form a thick, coarse batter. Heat oil for deep frying until shimmering. Drop small, flattened portions of batter by hand into the oil; fry in batches, turning occasionally, until deep golden and crisp, about4–5 minutes each. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with chai.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

GPT-Image-2 (OpenAI) — now supports true transparent backgrounds built directly into generation via the API, producing cleaner results on tricky details like glassand fine fibers than after-the-fact background removal.

— TODAY'S POEM —

"Rhythms on the Earth" — an original poem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence, inspired byrain falling over Trivandrum the night before recording.

📚 Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

A special, quiet episode. No news today, no tool, no recipe —just a dedication, and a poem, for Linu's late mother, Mary Anne, headmistress of Cotton Hill Girls' High School, Trivandrum, who passed away on April 25, 2020. "Ode to My First Lady: A Son's Farewell" is the opening poem in Linu's book, Fifty Rooms of Silence, read here in full for thefirst time on the show.

This poem was also released as a song, "First Lady of OurHouse," under Linu's label, The Bandrum Circuit — listen on Spotify and other platforms via the link below.

 — THE SONG —

"First Lady of Our House" — The Bandrum Circuit. Listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/track/1zf1vxdrM08Ba7UkFgjDz3

— THE POEM —

"Ode to My First Lady: A Son's Farewell" — from Fifty Rooms of Silence, by Linu Conil (Romanson Printing & PublishingHouse, June 2025). Written in memoriam of his mother, Mary Anne, who passed away on April 25, 2020, during the lockdown.

📚 Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

This week, in review. A survey found most young Americansdistrust AI's biggest names — 81% distrust Palantir's CEO, with only Microsoft's Satya Nadella rated positively. Reddit launched Play, turning threads into AI-narrated videos itself, instead of letting others profit from scraping them. OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT for Teens with automatic protectionsfor under-18 users. Meanwhile in India, Swiggy launched an AI business partner for delivery workers, Aum Ventures backed deep-tech founders with up to $1M through DeepSpark, and SIDBI's ₹10,000 crore startup fund committed fresh capital toAI-first fintech builders. The thesis: the world argued over who to trust with AI; India's capital simply kept choosing who to back.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: Pika Audio, a new suite of AI audiomodels. Something simple off the grill for the weekend: Grilled Salmon Fillets. And the poem that closes the week: "Belief. Backing. Boundaries."

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Grilled Salmon Fillets. Pat salmon fillets completely dry; brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Heat grill to medium-high and oil the grates well. Place fillets skin-side down, close the lid, and cook undisturbed for 6–8 minutes dependingon thickness, until it flakes easily with a fork — no need to flip. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh dill.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

Pika Audio — a new suite of AI audio models from Pika, including Pika Soundtrack (video-to-audio sync), Pika Music (prompt-and-lyric song generation), Pika SFX (natural-language sound effects), and Pika Speech (expressive text-to-speech with voice cloning), priced up to 20x lower than competitors.

— TODAY'S POEM —

"Belief. Backing. Boundaries." — an originalpoem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence, closing out the week.

📚 Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens on August 18, automatically applying stronger protections — no romantic language, more break reminders, parental controls for quiet hours and study time — the moment its systems predict a user is under 18. Meanwhile in India, SIDBI confirms a freshcommitment from its ₹10,000 crore Startup Fund of Funds to Cedar Hill Capital, putting real government-backed money behind AI-first enterprise fintech founders. The thesis: one company spent this week protecting the youngest usersof AI; on the other side of the world, government capital spent it backing the people who'll build whatever those same users grow up on.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: Kitesurf, Cloudflare's browser builtfor AI agents. And for the first time this season, the kitchen goes home to Kerala: Puttu and Kadala Curry. Closing with an original poem, "What We Leave Behind."

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Puttu and Kadala Curry (Keralam). For the kadala curry: soak black chickpeas overnight, then pressure cook until soft. Sauté onion, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves in coconut oil; add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, and a little garam masala. Blend grated coconut and fennel seeds into a smooth paste, stir in along with the cooked chickpeas, and simmer until the gravy thickens. For the puttu: mix rice flour with a pinch of salt and just enough water until crumbly, never wet. Layer with grated coconut in a puttu maker, alternating rice flour and coconut, and steam for about 7 minutes until it lifts out clean. Serve hot, with the curry spooned generously over the puttu.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

Kitesurf — Cloudflare's cloud-hosted browser built specifically for AI agents rather than humans, running 3–7x lighter on CPU and memory than Chromium.

— TODAY'S POEM —

"What We Leave Behind" — an original poem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence.

📚 Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

Reddit begins testing 'Play,' a feature that turns textposts into AI-narrated videos with synced on-screen captions, rolling out on web August 17 and apps August 18 — Reddit's answer to years of third-party creators scraping its threads for narrated TikTok and YouTube content. Meanwhile in India, early-stage investor Aum Ventures launches DeepSpark 2.0, backing the country's next generation of deep-tech founders across AI, robotics, and quantum computing with up to $1M in funding and mentorship. The thesis: while platforms fight to keep you watching, India's capital is looking further out,betting on the people who'll build whatever comes after the apps.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: Suno Studio 2.0, a major update tothe browser-based AI music platform. A first for the show — true New England clam chowder. And an original poem: "What We Choose to Build."

TODAY'S RECIPE —

New England Clam Chowder. Render diced salt pork or bacon in a heavy pot until crisp; remove and set aside, keeping the fat in the pot. Sauté 1 diced onion and 2 diced celery stalks in the fat until soft. Add 2 cups diced potatoes, clam juice to cover, a bay leaf, and a little thyme; simmer until potatoes are just tender. Stir in 1 cup cream and chopped clams; warm through gently, never boiling hard once the cream is added. Season with salt and pepper. Finish each bowl with the reserved crisp pork and fresh parsley. Serve hot with oyster crackers.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

Suno Studio 2.0 — a major update to Suno's browser-based AI music platform, adding MIDI support, musical typing, live audio tracking with latency calibration, and advanced stem splitting.

— TODAY'S POEM —

"What We Choose to Build" — an original poem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence.

📚 Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

A new survey finds young Americans deeply distrust the people building AI — 81% don't trust Palantir's CEO, and only Satya Nadella earns net positive trust. 45% think AI will hurt their careers; 60% want data-center buildout slowed. Meanwhile in India, Swiggy launches Guru, a 24/7 AI BusinessPartner helping restaurant owners make data-driven decisions and solve daily operational problems. The same week trust in AI's builders fell, one of India's most familiar brands quietly put AI to work solving real, small-businessproblems.

Also in this episode: the All India Professionals' Congress haslaunched the Universal Layoff Insurance and Protection Framework, with a live survey for anyone affected by a layoff, in any industry. Link below — please fill it in and share it forward.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: Wan 3.0 by Alibaba, turningPowerPoint decks and PDFs into video. A proper Greek moussaka. And an original poem: "Trust. Tools. Taverna."

 — LAYOFF INSURANCE SURVEY —

All India Professionals' Congress — Universal Layoff Insurance and Protection Framework.If you or someone you know has faced a layoff, in any industry, please take a few minutes to be counted: https://forms.gle/TdfuejHUxmtrUi3m7

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Lasagna). Salt and roast eggplant. Layer with a beef or lamb tomato sauce spiced with cinnamon and oregano. Top with a rich Parmesan béchamel and breadcrumbs. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 30–40 minutesuntil golden. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

Wan 3.0 (Alibaba) — a new AI video model in public beta that transforms an entire PowerPoint deck or PDF into a polished 30-second video, without manual editing.

— TODAY'S POEM —

"Trust. Tools. Taverna." — an original poem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence.

📚 Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

Season 2's first week, in review. Monday: the AI price warsharpened as DeepSeek and Alibaba undercut premium models, while India's Yotta raised $150M for an 85,000-GPU cloud. Tuesday: Meta gave away a free, single-GPU 30B model, as Bengaluru's Kily raised $3.15M for AI commerce agents. Wednesday: Google restructured its AI leadership under Hassabis and Kavukcuoglu, while Info Edge's Shiksha saw billings fall 23% to AI search. Thursday: Gemini crossed 1 billion monthly users as Accel's India fund hit $1.2B in 18 months. The thesis: while the giants fought over models, users, and leadership, India's capital and builders just kept quietly compounding.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: Dreamina, turning photos into acinematic AI music video. A full Weber kettle smoked pork belly, oak and apple wood, four hours low and slow. And the poem that closes the week: "Models. Money. Momentum."

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Weber Kettle Smoked Pork Belly. Pat 4–5 lb skinless pork belly completely dry. Apply a thin binder of hot sauce or mustard, then coat generously with a coarse BBQ rub(salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika); let sweat 15 min. Set up a two-zone fire on the kettle; add 2–3 chunks of oak or apple wood to the hot coals; place a small foil water pan near the fire. Hold chamber temperature at 250–275°F. Place the pork belly fat-side down on the indirect side, lid closed,exhaust vent over the meat. Smoke uninterrupted for 2 hours, then monitor internal temp and spritz hourly with apple cider vinegar or water. Pull at 195–200°F internal (3–4 hours total) when it probes like butter. Rest loosely wrapped in foil for 30 minutes before slicing into thick slabs.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

Dreamina (by CapCut) — upload your photos and it generates a cinematic AI music video with a matching AI-composed soundtrack, powered by the new Seedance model. https://dreamina.capcut.com/

— TODAY'S POEM —

"Models. Money. Momentum." — an original poemwritten by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence, closing out Season 2's first week.

📚Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

Google's Gemini app crosses 1 billion monthly users, thefastest-growing product in Alphabet's history. Meanwhile, VC firm Accel raises a new $550 million fund dedicated to Indian startups, taking its India war chest to $1.2 billion in 18 months — real, patient capital betting on India's next decade of founders. The thesis: while the giants race for a billion userseach, the money backing India's next generation of builders keeps arriving, quietly, and at scale.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, Nvidia'sfirst open-source model since its strategic pivot. Sigara Böreği, crispy Turkish cigarette pastry with feta and parsley. And an original poem: "The Quiet Race."

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Sigara Böreği (Turkish Crispy Cheese Rolls). Mash 200g crumbled feta cheese; mix in ½ cup finely chopped parsley and 1 egg white (reserve the yolk). Cut filo pastry sheets into 8 equal triangles. Place a small spoonful of filling at the wide end of each triangle; fold the sides in slightly and roll tightly into a thin cigar shape. Brush the tip with the reserved egg yolk and press to seal. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat; fry until golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (Nvidia) — Nvidia's first open-source AI model since its strategic pivot: a 30-billion-parameter model released free for anyone to download and build with.

https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/nemotron-lightning-switchyard-rtx-dgx/

— TODAY'S POEM —

"The Quiet Race" — an original poem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence.

📚Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

Google restructures its entire AI leadership, consolidatingoperations in Mountain View — Demis Hassabis steps back to become Chairman as Koray Kavukcuoglu takes over day-to-day operations, ending years of split London/California teams. Meanwhile in India, Info Edge's education platform Shiksha sees billings fall 23% this quarter as AI search and chatbots divert traffic that once went to its website — a real, current example of AI's economic disruption, not a future hypothetical.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: GPT-Live, OpenAI's new full-duplexvoice mode for ChatGPT. A Gujarati comfort classic, moong dal khichdi, with kadhi and papad. And an original poem: "The Search Between Us."

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Moong Dal Khichdi (Gujarati Comfort Food). Wash and soak 1 cup split yellow gram (peeli moong dal) and 1 cup rice (chawal) together for at least 30 min; drain. Pressure cook with ½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi), 10 black peppercorns (kalimirch), salt to taste, and 4½ cups water for 4 whistles. Let steam escapebefore opening. Just before serving, stir in 2½ tbsp ghee and mix well. Serve hot with kadhi (yogurt-based curry) and roasted papad. Variation: use green moong dal instead of yellow, and swap the peppercorns for 2 cloves (laung) anda small piece of cinnamon (dalchini).

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

GPT-Live (OpenAI) — a newly launched full-duplex voice mode for ChatGPT that enables natural, low-latency conversation, along with the ability to see and control your computer while you talk.

— TODAY'S POEM —

"The Search Between Us" — an original poem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence.

📚Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]

Meta releases Muse Glimmer, a 30-billion-parameter AImodel that runs free on a single consumer GPU — a direct challenge to DeepSeek and Alibaba's open-source push, and a bet against the closed, enterprise-first strategies of OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. In India, Bengaluru-based Kilyraises $3.15M to build AI agents for consumer brands, part of a $252M+ week for Indian startup funding. While the giants argue over open versus closed, India's builders are just getting on with building.

Plus — AI Tool of the Day: AirJelly, a new privacy-first localAI organizer. A proper chicken parmesan casserole, crispy chicken and all. And an original poem: "When Intelligence Comes Home."

 — TODAY'S RECIPE —

Chicken Parmesan Casserole. Boil ¾ lb rigatoni 1 min less than al dente; drain and toss with 32 oz marinara, 2 tbsp Parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella. Pat dry 2 small chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch strips. Bread in three stages: flour + 2 tsp seasoned salt + ¼ tsp pepper, then 2 whisked eggs, then 1½ cups Italianbreadcrumbs. Fry in ¼-inch oil + 2 tbsp butter, medium-high, ~4 min per side until golden; drain on paper towels, slice into bite-sized pieces. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a greased 9x13 dish, layer half the pasta, half the chicken, more Parmesan and mozzarella; repeat. Bake uncovered 25 min (or 425°F for 5 more minutes for a crisper top). Garnish with parsley; serve with garlic bread.

— TODAY'S AI TOOL —

AirJelly — a newly launched, privacy-first local AI app that organizes your work by remembering context across your apps and surfacing the right task when you need it.

https://www.airjelly.ai/

—TODAY'S POEM —

"When Intelligence Comes Home" — an originalpoem written by Linu Conil for this episode of Six Minutes of Silence.

📚Linu's books:

📖 Fifty Rooms of Silence — published by Romanson,endorsed by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556

📖 100 Best Prompts for Claude AI —https://www.amazon.in/100-BEST-PROMPTS-CLAUDE-Marketing-ebook/dp/B0H4HRKP3B

📖 AI & Automation Guide for Normal People —https://www.amazon.in/AUTOMATION-GUIDE-NORMAL-PEOPLE-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0H6X9ZCPR

—

Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced byThe Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.

Got a thought? Write to [email protected]